Baby Blues
by The Random Protector
Summary: -Discontinued- Zuko's Komodo Rhino is sick and an animal healer tells him some very surprising news about his creature. Slight warnings.
1. A Surpising Discovery

This has been going through my head and I've finally been writing it down. This will be a short story but not one chapter. The rating may go up, I'm not sure if this falls under T or M in this case. If anyone has any idea, please let me know through a review or e-mail.

Note: This is most likely not for kids who haven't heard "the birds and the bees" speech or for the immature who are just going to yell at the posting of this. This deals with animals having offspring and will most likely have some details. This is NOT a romance fiction and is more for character development.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Avatar _though I wish I did. I do own the animal healer…

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**Chapter 1 – _A Surprising Discovery_**

There are several ways that today could've better. For example, the Avatar could've showed his bald head at any point in this meaningless trip. Though that would require several painful bruises after his initial defeat but still, it might've given him _some_ excuse to get away from his uncle.

Zuko fought off the growing irritation by practicing his breathing while his uncle browsed _very slowly_ through the market. There couldn't have been more than twenty-five stalls and yet they had been here for more than two hours and weren't even halfway done. He could somewhat remember what they had actually stopped for after several whiffs from a particularly strong perfume. Then he saw the large bullish animal grunting in impatience, tied to a cart and looking like he was going to gore the first person to walk near him.

"Uncle," he tried to keep his voice calm but it obviously failed as Iroh raised an eyebrow at him. "We're supposed to be looking for an animal healer."

"I know, Prince Zuko, I know," he replied before turning back to the merchant's selection. "I've been merely waiting for the right moment."

He gritted his teeth, forcing the negative thoughts out before they controlled him. "And when is the right moment?" he forced out, managing to not sound threatening. For once.

The ox near them snorted angrily as a large man, who resembled the animal, began to climb onto the seat of the cart. Iroh thanked the merchant, hands sliding into his large sleeves, and immediately turned after the bullish man. Zuko often forgot that his uncle was still in excellent health, despite the large belly, and had to run to catch up with him.

"Excuse me, sir!" he called out, effectively stopping the huge man.

"What?" The man sounded like a bull as well, the loud grunt echoing throughout the marketplace. He glared down at them with amber eyes, signaling his Fire Nation heritage.

"That is a very lovely ox you have there," Iroh began, smiling widely as he sometimes did. "I don't suppose there's an animal healer on this island that can take care of a fine creature?"

He snorted loudly, glaring at Zuko when he approached. "Yeah. Lives behind the town, go over the first hill. Has a small farm filled with beasts." Sensing that the conversation was over, he snapped the reins. It was a surprise to both Firebenders when the ox behaved and walked calmly down the street, as though his temper had faded with the sound of the reins.

"That was enlightening," Zuko mumbled dryly, earning a disapproving gaze from his uncle.

"Now, now, Prince Zuko," Iroh started, "you should be thankful for the knowledge he provided us." The two began walking down the street, Iroh still browsing slightly.

"We could've asked someone else and gotten a better answer," he retorted.

The elder Firebender didn't say anything but kept moving. Buildings began to fade into cottages, cottages into fields of grass and crops. He had stopped noticing the countryside as it usually was burnt to the ground to better invade towns. Food deprived towns were always easier to take over.

Zuko let out a small breath as the crest of the hill was covered. He really didn't like hikes anywhere. The exiled prince gazed upon the landscape, finding the small farm easily.

It wasn't what he expected.

The pasture was barely big to fit three Komodo Rhinos in at once, nonetheless the twenty or so Wooly Goats the grazed about. Most of the farm was built in large pens, each covered by a roof with about enough space to move into the sun. A large barn sat near the edge of the property, a few holes evident in the roof. Moss and vines were crawling up several walls but the pens for the animals remained clean and kept. Well, from the angle it looked so.

The two descended the hill, Iroh nearly slipping on a mud patch. The gate to the farm was open and nearly nonexistent. It was bent and hung on one hinge, nearly useless yet still hanging on.

The large, wooden sign caught their attention and Zuko frowned at it. Several colored sticks were stuck into slots, each one with characters written over it. Some he recognized like 'Komodo Rhino' and 'Hawk' but others he had no clue.

'Take the colored stick that states your creature and hand it to Shing.'

Both of them looked at each other before Iroh shrugged. Zuko rolled his eyes and grabbed the brown stick, irritated at this obstacle.

Something barked near the gate. The two turned to the thin dog standing stiffly by the fence, gazing at them with a slightly dull expression. White fur covered his thin body, hanging off in clumps where mud caked in it. Long, straight legs supported him, his head cocked to one side. He barked again, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"I do believe that is Shing, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, smiling softly. When his nephew didn't move, Iroh plucked the stick from the prince's hands and passed it to the canine. Shing took it gently, turning slowly and began limping down the path. His right, back leg was too stiff to bend anymore, bringing a slow, jerky pace. Zuko found it absurd that anyone would keep a dog like this, especially one so old and disabled.

The trip would've been cut in half if the animal could actually walk, in Zuko's thought at least. Iroh was happy for the slow walk, enjoying the sights of the many creatures lounging in pens or grazing in the pasture. Zuko managed to pinpoint three Komodo Rhinos sleeping soundly in the sun, two of the large beasts horns cut down to almost nubs. A smaller one with all three horns intact looked up from his nap, snorting at them before rolling onto his side.

The dog stopped at a rounded pen, sitting down stiffly and waiting. Inside, a large, horse-like creature trotted about, tossing his head and stamping the ground hard. His halter received a small pull every time he did so, slowly correcting his aggressive behavior. He began to move smoother after a short while, surprising the prince as his gait lengthened and sent him further.

The one controlling the horse nearly blended in with the décor. She followed his movements with critical gold eyes, correcting anything she could find wrong with his carriage, gait, or behavior. The only item holding the horse was the lead rope connected to his halter, effectively keeping him under control.

She clicked her tongue and he slowed down to a walk, head still up. His walk was more of a high stepping prance but she didn't change it. Another click had him stopping, head shaking from side to side. Whinnying softly, the horse approached her, shying away slightly when she rubbed his ears. Gripping the lead rope tighter, she opened the gate to the pen and walked the creature out.

Barely pausing, she took the stick from the dog's mouth, gave one look at the color, and handed it back. She handed him a treat from a pocket in her pants and sent him back. "Follow me," she ordered, leading the horse.

Zuko was about to stop her but his uncle held out his arm. "Patience, Prince Zuko. You don't want your rhino dying."

He snorted, smoke billowing around him. Zuko followed a couple of steps behind the horse, not wanting to be kicked. His eyes began to critique the woman, finding she was shorter than many of the Fire Nation but stockier. She seemed plain but his warrior's training had him seeing the large muscles that had developed from years of working.

"Sick Komodo Rhino, is it?" she asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder.

Zuko just nodded. Iroh decided to speak for him.

"Yes, very young too. He's only five years old and is looking terrible," the elder man explained.

She unlocked the pen and the animal trotted inside, whinnying softly. The woman slipped the halter off of his head, throwing it over her shoulder and shutting the gate.

"What's this rhino doing?" she asked, attention now fully on them.

"His stomach's swollen and he's eating too much. Every time we cut his feed, he doesn't function well. He's been getting restless as well and won't let anyone touch him." Zuko held her gaze with his own as she frowned.

"Never heard of that before in a male," she mumbled softly. "Bring him over here and I'll see what I can do."

Temper burning, Zuko snarled. "Why can't you just come to the ship? It'd be easier."

"I don't know what's wrong with your rhino. I'd have to go there, check him, come back here for supplies, and then go back to your ship. It's a waste of time." She turned then, waving behind her.

Zuko growled but kept his anger in check as his uncle gave him 'The Look.' Fine, he'd go get the stupid animal and drag it here himself if he had to.

* * *

It ended up that the Komodo Rhino had managed to walk by himself but Zuko had one of his soldiers come and help Irohpush him along when he paused. He grunted, muscles trembling as he lumbered down the road.

Shing met them at the gate again, the old dog climbing stiffly to his feet. He moved at his turtle slow pace down the worn path, limping heavily all the way. Zuko held onto the rope connected to the beast's halter, tugging on it when he refused to move.

They saw her walking away from them, a water bucket dangling from her hands. She walked quickly, almost moving like a thick bodied horse. Zuko lost sight of her as she moved into a pen, reappearing once again without the bucket.

She looked up when the creature gave a small snort and moved away from the gate. The three Firebenders managed to drag the rhino into the large pen. He moved to take the entire halter off when her voice rose over the creature's protests.

"Leave it on but take the rope off. We may need to move him again." She walked in, shutting the gate and closing it firmly.

Zuko untied the lead rope from the creature's halter, watching as he snorted, examining the enclosure. The Firebenders backed away as he grunted and shoved his snout and horn into the straw bed along the side. Snorting, he lumbered and collapsed onto the straw, panting heavily.

Moving forward, the woman dodged the long horns and knelt down by his head. Zuko watched her carefully; he didn't want to get another Komodo Rhino anytime soon. She hooked one finger onto the rhino's dental pad between his teeth, prying his mouth open. Her inspection of his mouth lasted less than ten seconds. His eyes appeared normal and there were no residues around them. Humming, the woman backed off and frowned.

"He's very alert and there's nothing wrong with his face or mouth," she clarified. Her eyes traveled over the large expanse of the creature's stomach, swollen and barely moving when he breathed. "He looks bloated though. Has he eaten anything he shouldn't have?"

"He's been like this for two months. We've been shoving mineral oil down his throat since it started but it hasn't done anything but make a mess," Zuko grumbled. "It's gotten bigger every week."

She tilted her head, striding over to the huge stomach. The animal healer pressed down with both hands, barely moving anywhere. Her ear rested on the stomach, listening to the deep inhales and exhales. She rose to her toes every time he took in a breath, moving with him. Frowning again, she backed up and rubbed her chin.

"I'd like to move him somewhere else."

Zuko clipped the lead back on while Iroh and the soldier tried to roll him on his stomach. He didn't seem to want to move and there was no way three humans were going to make him get up. The woman walked over to the rhino's head when it was apparent they couldn't get him up. Two fingers slid gently into the beast's nose, pinching where the nostrils where separated by the thin skin. He let out a pained yell and immediately leapt to his feet, trembling again.

The four shoved and pulled him to the broken down barn, making sure to keep him moving at all times. Inside was almost as bad as outside but it was drier. Wooden panels were thrown together in one corner of the dark barn but it was the nicest looking thing in the barn. She opened up one side of the makeshift pen and the three forced the Komodo Rhino inside.

Her hand waved over a lamp, the flame flickering on. Light traveled over the huge creature as Zuko took the lead off again. She hopped the fence and watched as he rolled over onto his side and laid still. Zuko stood back again as both Iroh and the soldier climbed out of the pen.

She tugged down a length of chains hanging above them, revealing a nasty looking hook on the end. The animal healer wrapped the chain around one back leg and securely fastened the chain with the hook. Moving slowly around the large rhino, she pulled on the other end of the chain, Zuko now seeing the pulley system along the ceiling of the barn. His back leg lifted slowly into the air until she deemed it safe, securing the chain against a large nail.

Rubbing her hands, she returned to her patient and started examining the area. Zuko had learned some of Komodo Rhino's anatomy and just stared as she managed to find the area where, well, the reproductive organs were. Komodo Rhinos were built like reptiles in that department; everything was inside. When her hand suddenly slid into the protective covering, he blanched and nearly ripped her away from the surprised rhino.

"What are you doing?" he yelled, staring at her as if she was a monster or some other horrible animal.

Not replying, she felt around, her entire hand inside the creature. Golden eyes lighting up in surprise, she retreated and picked up a dirty towel. She seemed to be trying to figure out what to say as she wiped her hand off.

"Well, there is some good news. Your rhino isn't sick or ill in any way," she responded.

The three were still in slight shock at her intrusion into the creature.

"There is one problem though."

Six eyes went to her as she leaned against the wood paneling.

"Your he is actually a she and she's about to give birth."


	2. A Cruel Joke, and a Few Problems

Wow, three reviews! Thank you, dragonlupine, Zukofan5, and Siamese Surfer! And Bard Child from DH…

I forgot to mention a timeline. This happens sometime after the "Blue Spirit" episode but before "The Deserter."

Disclaimer: If I owned _Avatar_, we'd be getting new episodes right after "The Siege of the North" premiered. Sadly, I don't.

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**Chapter 2 – _A Cruel Joke…and a Few Problems_**

There was a large silence only broken periodically by the Komodo Rhino's grunting breaths. She was amused by the teenager's wide eyes and his slightly gaping mouth though.

"Are you sure?"

Her laugh did nothing to calm his fears.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have shoved my hand in there," she chuckled. "Trust me; I felt nothing in there that would've given her a _manly_ image." A smirk grew and a shine lit up her eyes. "Unless, of course, you want to double check?"

His face nearly went gray. "That's all right," he managed to sputter out.

Iroh was calming down from the initial shock of it and just grinned.

"But how…?" the teenager stammered, looking from the rhino to the healer then back to the rhino.

"Well, when a male rhino sees that she's in heat and…"

"Not that!" he yelled, hands clasped over his ears. He had already gone over that with his uncle; he did _not_ want to hear it from an animal obsessed woman.

"I do believe someone has played a cruel joke on you," she said. "I do prefer females over males though. Males get too aggressive and never want to leave a battle but females know when they're beat and retreat."

The prince stared at his rhino, watching the beast. It did explain several things. He, er she, had always been faster than her companions and smaller in size. She had always been very protective of him, almost goring Zhao to death on one occasion.

"She is going to have to stay here for a while though."

His heated gaze pinned her down. It usually made men tremble underneath him. She barely flinched.

"She could go into labor on the way back to your ship and, this being her first time, she'll need help more than likely." The animal healer ignored his temper, reaching over and undoing the chains. Her leg returned to its place, twitching a little. She jumped the fence again, walking away from the group.

"Right now though, she shouldn't be doing anything until a few more hours. Send Shang after me if she starts kicking at her stomach." The healer disappeared then, slipping into the waning sunlight. Had they really been here that long?

A dog replaced her, moving much easier than the older, disabled one. He looked a lot like the older one though and he was wondering if this was one of his sons. The dog sat down by Iroh, ears pricked and brown eyes watching the animal.

Zuko reached over stroked the creature's side, hearing her start slightly but calm back down. Even though most of the Fire Nation army was made up of male rhinos, he had grown quite attached to his. Of course, he'd never voice that out loud. It was a matter of holding his reputation together.

She lifted her head, looking at him with almost black eyes. Grunting, the Komodo Rhino rested her head in the straw again, tail smacking the floor.

The healer walked in and out every twenty minutes, checking the rhino. Every hour, she made Zuko twitch by examining where the calf would exit.

Iroh and the soldier had found something clean to sit on and just watched as Zuko continued to stand rigidly by the rhino. His presence seemed to calm the beast as she lied in the straw, tail thumping slowly. The elder just smiled and watched his nephew as he petted the creature absentmindedly.

Shang turned his head when the woman entered again after a two hour period with a bucket of water. She clicked her tongue and he exited the barn. Sighing, she sat on the floor a little ways off from the rhino, attention fully on her.

"It would be nice to know the name of the one helping us," Iroh said finally.

"People stop asking for it so I never say it anymore," she responded. "It's Lian though."

"That is a beautiful name," he replied, smiling.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she remarked. "But thank you." Lian then turned her attention to Zuko. "You might want to get out of there. She might crush you accidentally when she gets up."

She shrugged when he glared at her but he hopped over the fence all the same.

"I still don't understand how this came to be and why it hasn't happened earlier," Zuko almost snarled.

"Komodo Rhinos do not reach full maturity until five years of age. I assume she was also rooming with a male one. It doesn't take long for them to mate. About ten minutes at most," she mused. "Being that she is five years of age, the male caught her scent and did what any male would do." One eyebrow rose as Zuko's nose wrinkled in disgust.

Small conversation passed the time until the creature rose to her legs suddenly. She tossed her head around, looking scared. Her tail swept across the ground as she paced back and forth in the pen. Muscles across her stomach trembled when she paused in her pacing.

Seconds dragged into minutes as the group watched the creature pant and pace. The animal healer's brow furrowed when the calf had still not emerged.

"Something's wrong," the healer said.

"What? What's wrong?" Zuko asked, staring at her for answers.

She stood, stripping off the worn shirt and tossing it onto the floor. A white sleeveless shirt coated in stains of blood and some other unidentified messes covered her then, tucked into the brown peasant pants. Lian pulled a small strip of leather from one of her pockets, tying her hair back from her face. She heated the water up with a flash of fire, dipping her hands in and scrubbing up to her shoulders with it.

Striding to the enclosure, she pulled the shirt from her pants, the entire thing almost dwarfing her. Dodging the creature's tail, she climbed over the fence again. Her hand gently rubbed the beast's stomach, only receiving a startled roar. She retreated back, hands up as the Komodo Rhino shook her head, horns nearly cutting her open.

"What's her name?" she asked calmly.

Zuko mumbled something.

"It would really help if I could understand you," she growled.

"It's Li," he growled back, moving closer to his steed. She leaned in to him, letting out a noise that sounded oddly like a whimper.

"It's all right Li, calm down," she whispered, reaching out and stroking down the creature's snout. "You're going to be okay."

The rhino snorted but didn't take her eyes off of the healer. She moved slowly, one hand caressing the Komodo Rhino's side. Her hand pressed down on Li's tail head, the creature going absolutely still. Lian knelt slowly, finding the covering and pushing her hand inside. Gritting her teeth, she slid her arm further in, her elbow disappearing into the beast. Li stood still, breathing hard as her entire arm vanished inside her.

She suddenly yelped, one hand pushing against the thick thigh of the creature. Her arm popped back out and she clutched at it, breathing out several swear words.

"Are you all right?" Iroh asked, standing up and rushing to the pen.

"She contracted around my arm," she grumbled. Letting out a deep breath, she shoved her arm back inside her, ignoring the startled grunt of the creature.

Lian, arm embedded to the shoulder inside the rhino, frowned and tried to push deeper. She felt around, trying to find anything that was stuck or in the way of the passage, managing to push part of her shoulder inside. Her hand slid past a small barrier and she finally found what she had been looking for. Smirking, she found two feet and, if she pushed just a little more, the snout of something. Funny though, it was ready to come out and in the right position.

Then another contraction happened and something else pressed against her hand. Ignoring the tightening of the passage, the animal healer felt the new obstacle, eyes widening as her hand slid over another nose.

Shifting, Lian pushed the first one back seeing as it was blocking its sibling's way out. Once that one was put into its place, she wrapped her hand around the calf's feet. Moving smoothly, the woman let her blood coated arm slide out, holding onto the creature's feet all the out. She pulled downwards and slightly grimaced at the eruption of smell and blood. The calf fell out and twitched, head shaking in the straw.

She ripped the mucus membrane covering the creature's head, holding it up and tickling its nose. It sneezed loudly, spraying snot and blood all over her. Lian let it lie still and immediately pushed her arm back into the Komodo Rhino. Her hand closed over the twin, dragging it out as well as the mother still didn't seem to know what to do. It fell on the straw as well, not moving though.

"Shit," she gasped out, ripping through the membrane covering it. The animal healer tapped the calf's nose and, when that didn't produce any noise, stood up. She grabbed it around the middle, heaving the twin up. The calf's sternum hit her leg hard, a wad of mucus and blood flying from its mouth. It coughed, legs kicking and she set it back down on the ground.

She pulled out a knife from her boot, slicing through the long cords jutting out from the calves' stomachs. Both started kicking and struggled to rise to their feet. Lian backed away as the mother turned around, nuzzling the two calves carefully.

The animal healer slipped out of the pen, shaking her arm off. Her shirt was covered in splatters of blood and other new stains as she started washing her arms off.

"She should be fine but I'd like to keep her in there for a few days. Many new mothers don't accept their offspring at first. And she could develop complications," the woman clarified, now slightly clean. She still felt sticky though.

Iroh stepped in then, holding out his arm to block his nephew from yelling at her. "I am sure we can stay in port for a few more days. Until then, we can modify the ship to accommodate our new guests."

Zuko still wasn't very keen on the idea of leaving his rhino in the hands of someone, well, like her. He watched the two twins nosing around their mother. Well, maybe he could leave them here if it would keep those two alive.

"Shouldn't you see what sex they are?" he asked, pinning her down with a glare.

"You'd have to wait a good week before you can tell their sex. They still aren't completely developed." Lian frowned though when the creatures let out a loud cry. "What in the world?"

Frustrated, she hopped the fence again. Gently moving the two calves aside, she knelt down by the large creature's hind legs. Her hand ran along the rhino's underside, finding her teats easily as they now slid out for the offspring. The udder seemed full, even engorged. She tugged on one, earning nothing for her efforts. Humming slightly, she tried the other one and, once again, earned nothing.

"Well shit," she mumbled. Standing up and stretching, she moved calmly out of the pen and over to one of the miscellaneous trunks scattered about the barn. Lian threw it open, rummaging around.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, stare changing from her to the protesting calves.

"She isn't used to giving milk. Nothing's coming out and, if I don't do something, you're going to lose both calves as I don't have a surrogate mother you can have." She pulled out a very thick needle and a small bottle, smirking slightly. "This should fix her though."

It was almost scary at how calm she was. Once back in the pen, she knelt besides the creature and ran her hand around her again. "One of you come over here and help me."

Zuko hopped the fence, petting his Komodo Rhino's sides gently. The calves regarded him with wide, black eyes before groaning louder.

"Hold her still. This is going to hurt."

He almost winced but grabbed her discarded lead and clipped it back on. The Firebender stood near her head, scratching her thick skin.

Lian found a nice, thick piece of muscle right around her flank. Holding the needle in one hand, she raised it and plunged it straight into the muscle. Li jerked and nearly knocked Zuko over with a swing of her head. Popping the cap off of the bottle, she poured the clear liquid into what appeared to be a collecting dish at the end of the needle. The strange liquid disappeared into the needle and Zuko could only assume it went straight into the flank muscle.

She finally pulled it out, the intruding object not even leaving a hole in the thick skin. Rubbing the sore, the healer smiled and patted the creature. Her eyes lit up suddenly as she bent down and tugged on of the teats.

"You just injected that. How could that-"

A stream of milk shot out, soaking the straw underneath her. Both calves watched her and one knocked her out of the way, mouth clamping on the rhino's udder. Her back humped slightly as both claves sucked down milk, slurping noises emitting from the two.

"Isn't that cute?" she asked no one in particular.

Zuko blinked in surprise at first but just accepted the new development. He rubbed the rhino's face affectionately before taking the lead off again and exiting the pen with the woman.

"I'll check on them every few hours to make sure the mother and calves are doing fine. You boys can go back to your ship. Come around sometime tomorrow so we can get those two used to people." She put the needle and bottle away, closing the trunk and locking it.

Iroh stood up stiffly and stretched. "Thank you very much for your help. Are you sure it's no trouble keeping them here?"

"I wouldn't move them for a few days at all. They need to build up strength first," Lian mused.

The elder Firebender smiled and bowed. "I hope you have a good night's rest."

She laughed but bowed back. "You too."

Lian saw them out up to the line of pens. A massive dog lumbered up to them, flanking the teenager and led them the rest of the way. He gave a gruff bark at Shing whose head appeared from a fairly new lean-to near the fence line. The old dog yipped back and vanished into the darkness.

Zuko looked back at the barn, watching the animal healer close the barn doors. He kept his gaze on it long after the group had left the small farm.

* * *

She had just finished her nightly rounds, three dogs following her closely as the woman locked the barn again. The rhinos were curled up together, sleeping soundly for the time. Lian had left the only secure lamp on in the barn so the creatures had some light. She hadn't had a barn fire for ten years ever since she had nailed and fastened the bottom of the lamp to the metal table.

Yawning, she held the door open to the small, rundown house and the three dogs walked in. Lian rubbed their furry heads, smiling softly before sending them off to bed. The three dogs slunk off into the room, curling up on the pallet and waiting for her to join them.

Waving her hand, she lit another lamp and pulled out a piece of parchment and a pen. An ink bottle followed as she set them on the nearly broken table sitting in the small kitchen. Dipping the pen in the ink, she began to write everything she could recall that happened with the rhinos, including labor and different methods that had worked on her and the calves. Another line had the names of those she was dealing with, two of the well known enough that she hadn't had to ask them. The soldier was more of a third wheel and she didn't record him.

Scratching sounded at her door, followed by a long whimper. Lian stood, rolling her shoulders. She had really wanted to go to bed but Shing only came to her door if there was a customer. He never wanted to sleep in the house for some reason.

She opened the door, seeing the dog sitting in front of it, a stick in his mouth. The woman took it from him, brow furrowing at the black color which meant 'Other.' Looking up, she blinked in surprise at the bright yellow and orange of a bald kid's clothing. Even more surprising was the giant standing behind him, breathing hard and groaning in pain.

"Are you the animal healer?" the kid asked, earning a nod from her. "My bison's sick and we don't know what's wrong with him. Can you help?"

She gazed back up at the massive, furry animal, one thought crossing her mind. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Bison Woes and Sleep Depravity

Thanks to Amberhawk, Siamese Surfer, Zukofan5, twiztidchick508, and Tarrina for reviewing! And Bard Child and beware from DH! I actually get some of these "ailments" from my wonderful vet novel and my own experiences with goats (especially this chapter's ailment).

The only reason why the warning is in the front is because of some strange person freaking out and reporting this story for no real reason (it's happened to several which were good and not breaking any rule). That, and I don't get hate letters from overprotective moms who demand to know who I am so they can sue me for "endangering their child's innocence." I'm just being cautious.

Disclaimer: I own…Lian. Oh, and the Wooly Goats. Wow, that's a whole bunch…not really.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – _Bison Woes and Sleep Depravity _**

"Bison?" she gulped, staring at the mountain of fur. Never had she seen such an animal. He had to stand about as tall as her house with clumps of fur just hanging off of him. In all honesty, she would've thought he was a massive and overgrown Wooly Goat.

"Yeah, can you help him?" the kid asked again, looking at her with bright grey eyes.

"I don't know, kid. I've never dealt with," she paused, trying to find something that wouldn't sound too insulting, "big."

At that moment, the creature groaned loudly and fell to the ground. He lay sprawled out, his entire body moving with his heavy breathing. The earth seemed to tremble under his weight and she bit her lip.

"Please?" he begged, giving her puppy dog eyes. She looked down at him and back at the bison.

Dammit, she could never resist those eyes.

"I can't put him in the barn but if we can get him around the barn, I've got a sheltered area he can sleep under," Lian said.

The kid grinned widely and immediately yelled at two kids she hadn't noticed. Both looked like they were from the Water Tribe just by the clothing and the dark skin. The girl was holding a strange looking black and cream creature that purred and curled around her shoulders. She watched as they pulled on the reins and pushed on his mass to try and get him moving. Their efforts were in vain as he did not want to move anymore.

Lian's eyebrow rose and she shook her head. Disappearing into the barn, she came out a moment later with a strange pair of tongs. The kid seemed slightly frightened when she slid the two blunt ends into the beast's nose. Snapping the ends shut, she gave a hard yank on his nose.

He let out a loud grunt, six legs moving underneath him. Almost snarling, he shook his head violently, nearly dislocating her arm in the process. It still hurt but she stamped her foot, snorting at him. She knew how to deal with horned creatures. They were always in need of a herd leader and she was going to be sure she was that.

The bison groaned again, head bowing slightly. Scratching underneath his wide chin, she smiled. Lian jerked her head and led the way.

Technically, the land behind the barn wasn't hers anymore. She had to sell land off to keep paying for the farm. Her duties and official job had never paid real well as people were incredibly poor nowadays. Even the sum she scraped up from being the war animal trainer for her nation didn't pay off. She was sick of war.

Nodding, she waved her arm and the creature settled underneath the roof, rolling on his side. He fell like a tree and sounded like a mighty one falling. The kid patted his nose, whispering to him. She glanced at the two Water Tribe natives and shrugged

"Why couldn't we have put Appa in the barn?" the girl asked.

She assumed that was the giant bison's name. "I've got a new mother Komodo Rhino with calves. I don't need them stressing," she replied. "Now, let's see what's wrong with you."

Lian pushed her hand through at least a foot of fur to his throat. Her fingers pressed down on what felt like his jugular, feeling the heartbeat. It seemed slightly faster than normal. She moved to his face and pushed his hair back, checking his eyes. They looked normal though, no dilation or whites. His nose was wet and he seemed to be fine except that something was off.

Frowning, she poked the pads of his feet, watching each leg jerk. His last leg moved less, almost sluggishly. Lian scaled the mass of fur, feeling around the hind leg for anything unusual.

It didn't take long before she found a large lump in front of his hind leg. With all of the hair, it was hard to find anything wrong with him. She slid down, knowing she was going to need her rhino knife for this.

"Keep him comfortable. I need to get a few supplies."

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, grey eyes gazing at her.

"Giant cyst. It won't take long to get rid of," she soothed.

She heard the boy whispering to the bison still and smiled.

"It's okay, Appa," Aang cooed. "You're going to be all right."

"Yeah, Appa. Even if she does seem crazy," Sokka muttered.

"Sokka!" Katara warned, nearly slapping him upside his head. "She's the only animal healer for miles. Stop being a jerk."

Appa groaned loudly and panted.

"Having fun?" she asked, holding the large knife in one hand and a bottle of clear fluid in the other. The kids looked at her, the older boy's eyes landing on the blade immediately. He reached for a weapon on his belt but she waved indifferently. "It's not for you."

Lian crawled back on top of the bison, setting the knife down on his side. Popping open the bottle, she poured the clear liquid out and onto the lump, scrubbing it in with her free hand. Capping it, she took the knife and pressed the blade down on the skin.

She blinked up at the ceiling as she lied on her back. Coughing, she was extremely happy she hadn't landed on her knife when the creature bucked her off. Hissing out a breath, she rubbed her head and glared at the beast.

Handing the knife to the girl, she went back around into the barn. Ignoring the grunts of the Komodo Rhinos, she grabbed another bottle and her rhino needle.

"Let's try this again," she grumbled as she returned. The kid gave her an embarrassed grin but she ignored that as well. Lian parted his fur and pinched a vein in his leg, bringing it to the surface. The animal healer stabbed the needle into it, ignoring the jerk and poured the small sedative into the needle. It wouldn't fully knock him out because of his mass but it would keep him calmer.

Appa grunted less and stayed quiet, breathing evenly and deeply.

"You just lay there," she grunted, climbing back up to the large lump. Taking her knife, she cut a long slice right above the cyst, nodding when very little blood spilt. The animal healer pushed the two flaps of skin back, wincing slightly at the sight.

Nasty, white pus trembled with his breathing. It was a lot larger than it felt and she pressed and squeezed the area, nose wrinkling as it spurted out. She flung the excrement behind her, not really caring if she hit the kids. Being that she really had no instruments to clear it out, she had to use her hands. Picking the knife up, she carefully scraped the rest out and found what was causing the pus.

"Well, here's the problem," Lian mumbled, holding up a clump of debris. "Must've gotten stuck in there from a wound."

When she turned around, she found the three kids' faces grey. Smirking slightly, she tossed the clump back and checked the wound. It would be fine for now.

"He's going to have to stay here for a while. I need to let this drain a little bit more. I'll sew it up sometime tomorrow or the next day." The woman wiped her hands off on her pants and watched the older boy sputter.

"But we need to make to the North Pole in a week!" he cried, staring at her.

"I'm sorry." The woman shrugged. "He should recover by tomorrow but that's if that was the main problem," she elaborated. "If he isn't doing better in the morning, I'll see what I can do." Her promise was slightly empty. She could do no more than what her supplies could handle. Jerking the blade, she watched the kids' expressions carefully. "I'd suggest you try and get some sleep and come back sometime tomorrow night. I can give you an estimate on how much longer he'll need to stay down then."

The older boy grumbled something but nodded all the same.

Lian gave a slight bow and whistled for her mastiff. He lumbered out of the house, almost grumbling himself at being dragged out of bed. The large dog led them to the gate before immediately turning around and heading back to the house.

"He'll be fine, Aang," Katara soothed, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Yeah, we'll head back tomorrow night and, before you know it, we'll be on our way to the North Pole," Sokka put in. A rumble echoed in the night. "But let's fine something to eat first."

Aang chuckled and cheered up slightly. Momo leapt to his shoulders and curled around his bald head. The lemur seemed slightly jumpy, ears twitching and moving constantly.

The Avatar slowed down slightly, remembering an old superstition Monk Gyatso had told him.

An unhappy lemur meant unhappy times.

* * *

Zuko had walked to the…quaint farm alone, wanting to question the woman without his uncle's stern looks. It was a foggy morning, humidity clinging to him. He wished he hadn't worn his armor today as the moisture was making his clothes stick to his skin.

As usual, Shing met him at the gate and showed him the way. The dog's eyes were slightly cloudy and his limp seemed worse than ever. But he trudged onward down to the barn and sat stiffly by the door.

"Welcome back."

A small piece of jerky flew through the air, instantly being snapped up by the old canine. He stood back up after a moment's rest and returned to his watch.

The Firebender strode into the barn, watching the woman as she rubbed the calves' faces. Both were grunting happily, the mother staring at Lian as she ate from a trough. She scratched underneath the rhinos' chins and down their necks, sitting on a simple stool. The two looked happy enough, eyes bright and shining at the new attention.

"What are you doing?" he asked, moving slowly around his rhino. He was surprised that his steed was taking the woman so lightly.

"Getting them used to being touched," she responded easily. "It trains them to accept human touches." Lian caressed their legs, shushing them when the limbs jerked.

Li grunted and lumbered up to him, pushing the side of her head to her human. Zuko stroked her gently, gazing at the woman before he started his interrogation.

"You're a Firebender." It was a simple statement and did sound slightly stupid when he realized it.

"No shit," she replied easily again, not taking her eyes off her clients. "And you're the exiled Prince Zuko."

He frowned, glaring at her now. "You work for Admiral Zhao."

That got her attention. She paused in her work, hands resting on her knees. "Admiral now?" she whispered breathlessly. Slight fear crossed through her eyes, the only expressive area he could ever find. "I work for all of the Fire Nation if I must," she managed to ground out, turning back to the Komodo Rhinos.

Li sensed her human's irritation, shifting noticeably. The animal healer held still until the creature's stance changed to a less threatening one.

"But Zhao is the only one you've dealt with," he growled.

Her eyes closed tightly, wincing slightly. "Yes," she admitted. "I train war beasts for him."

"Why?" Zuko asked, leaning forward on the wooden panels. "Why do you work for him? It can't be because he pays you well."

"An agreement. I train animals for him; he doesn't wipe my family's farm off the face of the planet." Lian began rubbing the creatures again, faster though. "I can't let them be killed for my mistakes."

"What?"

"Dammit!" she screamed, standing up faster than he thought she could move. His rhino shook her head, nearly goring the woman. Lian leaned in closer than Zuko thought she should have, eyes wild with fury. "Do you know what we have to go through everyday? This farm used to thrive with three times the amount of animals now! I have had to sell off parts of the land to the Fire Nation to pay my taxes because you're damn father can't pay for _his _war himself. The people I help can barely pay me for my services, nonetheless pay for everyday necessities. I have to take whatever jobs I can to pay to keep my animals alive. It may not be what I usually charge, but that damn admiral can give me enough to pay off six months of taxes."

He stared at her, taken aback by her outburst. No one had really yelled at him before, at least, not until now. She looked tired though, dark shadows visible under her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose, sucking in a breath before backing up.

Lian sat down on the stool again, rubbing her face. One of the calves head butted her, nuzzling her leg. Absentmindedly, she petted it and squeezed her eyes shut. "It would be best if you left."

Zuko clenched his jaw to avoid making another scene. If he had learned anything from his uncle, it was to keep his mouth shut in certain situations. He gave a curt nod before exiting, giving Li one last pet.

The Firebender would give her a little time to calm down before he went back.


	4. Give me a Reason to Live

Thanks to Amberhawk, Zukofan5, and Fritters-4-Psi for reviewing! And Bard Child and tornesun from DH as well…

Slight edits in the last chapter. I had forgotten that this happened before the North Pole incident so I changed all the 'Omashu's with 'the North Pole.'

Disclaimer: If I owned _Avatar_, season 2 would be out and DVDs of all of season 1 would be available to purchase.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – _Give me a Reason to Live_**

There was a time for everything, she mused. Facedown in the pillow, she breathed out and shooed the dog away from her. He growled softly before licking her ear, earning a smack to the face.

"I'm trying to sleep," Lian hissed out.

Whining, he retreated outside and left her to dwell.

Sighing, she rolled onto her back, staring at her cracked ceiling. She forced her eyes closed, breathing deeply and evenly. Insomnia always liked to come and drag her down during times she needed sleep. Lian kept her mind clear, figuring if she couldn't sleep, she could at least relax for a couple of hours.

Disease…

The word flashed into her mind, creeping out of some hidden niche. Frowning, she rolled onto her side. The woman kept her eyes shut, wishing away the memories that popped up.

Wench…

Lian surged at that one, biting back the curse she wanted to utter. She could've been a real medic, one who could've helped her own parents in their time of need. But humans annoyed her, irritated her to no end. Many were never grateful for the wonders she performed on their beasts, almost to the point where they claimed they could've done it themselves. Creatures gave her their own kind of praise that mattered more to her than anything else.

She lay back down, staring back at the ceiling. The only reason she had inherited the farm was because her mother had died of an infection before any more kids. Her father had died several years later, widowed but unwillingly to marry again, of a broken ribcage that tore his lungs up. A rhino had slammed into him with enough force to kill him painfully.

The woman vaguely remembered they had killed the Komodo Rhino after that.

Her mind began to drift slowly, letting her relax finally. She enjoyed the slight silence.

"It'll all come crashing down one day. And then, you will be nothing but an insect under my foot…"

Gasping loudly, Lian shot up on the pallet. She formed a weak flame in her hand, ready to strike the invisible voice. Her room met her painfully, images flaring around her. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her brow and curled back up on the pallet.

"Give me a reason for living," she whispered, eyes closing again.

A howl sounded and a smile graced her.

"And I'll keep going."

* * *

Given the time of day, he should've been surprised when the woman glared at him, looking like she had just crawled out of bed. She grumbled something before disappearing back inside the small house. Zuko waited for her, keeping quiet as she finally came back out. Shing went back to his post and Lian walked right past him. His eyes followed her as he opened the pen of a Komodo Rhino and stalked off.

Grunting, the animal followed after her, shoulders rolling when he walked. Muscles moved underneath his skin but he trailed after her like a lost puppy. He groaned and gave her an almost teasing poke to the back.

She turned and slapped him but it didn't do much to his thick skin. His head moved all the same and he seemed to smirk at her.

"Shut it, Bao. I don't need you being a smart ass," she growled.

He gave her a grunt and trotted behind her.

Lian opened a large gate, whistling at him. "Get your ass in there and have fun."

Zuko couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not but he lumbered inside the gate and started moving at a trot into the field.

The woman faced him now, still looking cross. He just watched her as she shook her head and stalked into the barn, growling softly. She kicked a rock on her way down and didn't stop until she was fully inside the barn.

The prince strode after her, keeping his distance until she calmed slightly. Women were dangerous creatures when they were mad, especially Firebender women. He stared as she hopped the wooden panels and rubbed the two calves' faces. Li watched her carefully, tail thumping the ground as a warning.

It was a while before Zuko approached them, watching the calves as they rubbed themselves against her. Both regarded him for a moment before one began suckling Li and the other stared at him. The calf walked up and seemed to smile at him, a tongue snaking out and licking his hand. He petted the creature, earning a groan of content from it.

"That one's the sweetest one I've ever met," she remarked, scratching the calf's tail. "The other one's cautious and calculating. A fine war beast."

Snorting, the other calf paused in its meal and watched her with large, black eyes. It grunted and continued, ears twitching to follow her movements.

"That's if, of course, it's a male but I still don't understand why anyone would think a male is a better war specimen," Lian said.

"They're naturally stronger," he responded, watching the way she smirked.

"But females can read people and other more. An in heat female will distract a male rhino to the point that he abandons all other duties to chase her. Females know when they are beat and fall back, especially when their rider is injured. They might not be as strong, but they are faster," she put in, scratching the rhino under its chin.

"I would like to ask, if these are both females, would you take them?" Lian questioned, watching his face.

Zuko stared at the rhinos, biting his lip. He didn't answer her though and let the silence speak for him.

* * *

Fate had a funny way of screwing things up. Luckily, it wanted to be nice today.

The trio of kids showed up only minutes after the exiled prince had left. All three of them looked to be in happy spirits, the strange black and white creature curled around the bald one's shoulders.

Fate decided to deal them blow.

She cleared her throat as Shing led them to her, looking grim and unhappy. Lian had been checking on the bison a few times a day, always when Zuko was gone. There were some things she liked to keep secret, especially after all of the rumors she had heard going around.

"Avatar," she said, watching the boy blink and nod. Well, that answered one rumor. "Your bison won't recover until tomorrow."

"What's wrong with Appa?" he asked, looking like she had just destroyed his world.

An eyebrow rose as she sighed. "He has a small fever but it should go down by tomorrow morning. The cyst has grown back and I'm fixing to drain it again. I'll sew it up as well but he shouldn't strain himself with the stitches in."

The kid pouted and she rolled her eyes. "He's been bothering me all day." Lian waved her hand.

He seemed to understand and he bolted off for the bison, squealing as he hugged the giant.

Lian rolled her eyes again and stopped when she noticed the two Water Tribe kids watching her. "Yes?" she asked, backing up slightly as the boy looked ready to kill her.

"You're with the Fire Nation," he stated, glaring at her.

"No shit. What was your first clue?" she remarked sarcastically. She was getting tired of people stating the obvious.

He stalked up to her, pausing when she snorted at him, smoke billowing around her. The animal healer's head moved slightly, a threatening gesture for many horned animals. Living with them had given her a slightly instinctual behavior that left many people guessing of what her moves would be.

"I don't trust you," he growled, seeming to sputter a little bit.

"I never asked you to," she replied easily, pleased to see her mastiff wandering over to see what was wrong.

"You try anything though."

An empty threat but she took his word on it. Bowing slightly, she waved her hand for them to see the bison. The two watched her as they made their way behind the barn, the girl immediately petting him.

Appa groaned loudly and stretched, enjoying his rest. Aang fussed around him, acting no more than a maid with a dirty house. She found it amusing though and didn't stop him at all.

Smiling, she went to do her other chores as the light began to fade. Snapping, a flame flickered above her finger, floating in the palm of her hand. Lian opened the gate to the first pasture, whistling at the Wooly Goats, goats with just wool growing from their skin, that grazed happily.

Twenty heads looked up and focused on her. One bleated and the entire herd began to com down from the hill. The herd queen snorted and bleated again, rubbing her head against Lian's leg. She shooed the creature away, turning and leading them to the large pen. Swarming around her, the animals trotted to the pen while knocking into her and brushing against her leg.

After getting the beasts settled into the pen, she returned to the bison, sighing. Lian picked up her knife from the wooden box by the creature, climbing up and settling by the scab wound. The kids watched her as she slit the wound open again, Appa barely giving any protest this time. Nose wrinkling, she used her knife to scoop the nasty pus out. The bison grunted softly but didn't move as she poked him a couple of time with the tip of the blade.

Sliding down, she returned to the barn, eyes landing on the riding crop and whip hanging on the wall. She shuddered, walking past them quicker. Lian picked up her needle and a spool of thick thread, striding out of the barn quickly.

It didn't take long to sew the cut up, just mind numbing boredom. She listened to the kids' conversation as she worked, just listening. The two Water Tribe kids fought like siblings while the young Avatar tried to break it up.

She found it slightly heartwarming.

When they left sometime around eight, she felt lonely and immediately sought refuge with her old Komodo Rhino.

Tao nodded when she walked in, brown eyes smiling at her. Lian scratched her underneath her chin, pressing her body against the thick skin. The rhino stood still, letting the woman calm herself.

Lian backed up, rubbing the creature's face. "How about tonight?" she whispered softly, leaning on Tao.

She grunted and nodded her head, eyes shining as the woman left to fetch her saddle. Tao was old, nearly fourteen. But some things were more important than her age. Her human was one she understood and she was damned if she was going to let her destroy herself slowly.

* * *

There was a time when writing on the scrolls calmed her into sleep. Then she'd wake up with stains on her face but she had slept so easily then. Healing scrolls dotted the walls of her small library, most of them written by her. Other scrolls were just research she had done on several experiments.

She browsed, digging through piles to find the one she wanted. It took several minutes but she pulled out an old one, blowing off the dust that had collected. This one was a payment from an old family friend, a strange piece of information in the Fire Nation. Inside were detailed images of bison and several notes about their anatomy. Lian had finally remembered about it and skimmed through the document. Nothing new or anything about bison that she needed to know about. Sighing, she put it away and pulled out a new piece of parchment.

Sitting at her table, she scribbled with her pen, the lines forming a dragon and phoenix circling each other. Notes began to scribble on the side, her mind unconsciously writing whatever she needed to say.

Tao had behaved beautifully, outmatching any of the male rhinos she had trained by far. Her notes faded into her ride, a picture taking shape of a rhino with stubs for horns. She really never understood why but Komodo Rhinos were not designed for breeding. The horn on the nose pointed too far forward, meaning the creature had to walk perpendicular with a potential mate in order to tell if she was in heat. They depended on humans to help the breed and she had learned enough about that in her six years of being an animal healer.

Lian leaned back in her chair, relaxing slowly. Her life would be back to normal tomorrow when the stupid prince came and took his rhinos away and when the kids came back to fly to the North Pole.

Breathing in deeply, she stood up and went to curl up on her pallet, ready to sleep for a while. The animal healer lied down and started to sleep soundly.

Barking sounded.

Her eyes flew open at the sound. Never did her mutts bark unless there was an intruder on the property. Or…

Shing's howl sounded and she scrambled out of bed. Heavy knocking echoed through her almost empty house as she dragged an over shirt on and tried to calm her shaking hands. It was too early! They weren't supposed to be here until May.

She opened the door almost timidly, biting her lower lip. Lian stared up at the man's face, trying to mask her slight fear as he smirked down at her.

"Where's my rhino, wench?"

Admiral Zhao gave her a creepy smile as she swallowed audibly.


	5. Never Bite the Hand that Feeds You

Thanks to wilderness-writer, Zukofan5, effie's head, Siamese Surfer, and Firebender-Keiko for reviewing! And tornesun from DH!

Slightly longer chapter, took a while to actually get it down.

Disclaimer: I own Lian…maybe the dogs? Bah.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – _Never Bite the Hand that Feeds You_**

There were two ways to solve this problem, she mused. One, tell him to come back later when the Komodo Rhino was actually trained. Or two, grovel and plead.

She decided to go with one at the moment.

"He's not ready. I need two years once they hit the ground to train them," Lian said somewhat calmly, wishing she hadn't squeaked.

"Not ready?" Zhao asked, an eyebrow arching. He frowned and glared down at her. "I gave you a year and seven months."

Lian swallowed, forcing herself to not back down. "I need two years. If you take him into battle now, he won't obey a word you say." The woman held back a wince when his hand came down hard on her shoulder and squeezed. "It can't be helped," she managed to mumble.

"Explain to me why my rhino isn't trained," he said softly, barely more than a hiss.

"They usually don't leave the mother until two years of age. They are still adolescents in their mindset. He'll be ready in another five months," Lian stated. She tried to maneuver away from him but his grip tightened, intentionally touching a nerve spot. Hissing, she fought to break his grip and shut the door on him.

Zhao snarled and yanked her forward, keeping a vice-like grip on her shoulder. He shoved her into the small clearing, letting her get a good look of all of the soldiers he had brought with him. Her eyes darted around, measuring the twenty men slowly as Zhao stepped up behind her.

"She says my rhino is not ready," he stated, loud enough for the men to hear him clearly.

Standing up slowly, she made a small hand motion, ordering her dogs back. They stayed silent, circling around slowly and keeping to the shadows. Lian bit her lower lip again and kept herself from looking at the barn. Breathing deeply, she tried to stay calm as the soldiers drew near.

"I guess I'll have to take him back," he said lightly, his hand immediately grabbing her wrist. She grunted, tearing herself free while he looked on, amused. Instincts clouded her judgment, snorting and trying to look threatening in some way or fashion.

Unfortunately, she kept her attention too much on Zhao.

"Admiral!" a soldier called out, standing near the barn door.

She snarled, lunging and nearly stepped into the admiral's fist. Her body turned at the last minute, stumbling slightly as she fought to regain her balance.

"Restrain her," Zhao ordered, striding over to the barn door.

Two soldiers grabbed her arms, twisting them back to hold her still. She fought, nearly donkey kicking one in the shin. They merely laughed and one kicked her legs out from under her.

The nameless soldier opened the doors to the barn at the man's silent gesture. He stepped through, eyebrows lifting at the sight before him. Zhao smiled widely, eyeing the rhinos that were curled up in the straw. The mother stood, snorting and shaking her head.

"I might just let you keep that rhino for these. How old are they?" Zhao asked, turning to gaze at her.

Lian spat at him for her answer.

"Pity," he growled, looking back at the rhinos. "They'd make a fine repayment for your screw up with mine."

"They belong to a client," she hissed, testing the men holding her arms. It was going to be a while before they let go.

He ignored her, turning to several of his men. "Take them back to the ship. We'll find us another trainer who can do the job."

Struggling, she snarled loudly. "They don't belong to me! They belong to Prince Zuko!" Lian nearly yelled.

Zhao didn't pause though. "An even better reason to take them," he laughed.

Li grunted, tail thumping the ground in warning. She rushed at one soldier, nearly sending a horn through his stomach. Her tail swung, knocking another one away as she protected her offspring. Roaring, the rhino swung her head and forced the soldiers back.

She smirked then, watching the rhino defend herself. They couldn't get near enough to do anything. Her smirk disappeared as Zhao moved closer to the rhinos, frowning.

"Stand back," he ordered, fire licking at his fingers.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" she screamed, arms jerking against her restraints.

His hands lit with flames, crackling softly as the rhino turned to face him. She roared, covering her children with her large bulk. The two creatures lowed loudly and then screamed in surprise.

Fire flew from the punch he let loose, slamming hard into the thick armor-like skin. Li yelled in pain, feet trembling underneath her. The flames licked at her skin, turning it black and burning the tissue underneath. She screamed, head flinging from side to side, trying to be careful with her stumbles. Roaring in pain, her tail swung around, cracking the wooden panels and sending splinters everywhere. An awful smell rose into the air, sinking into the senses and burning them.

The rhino finally stopped, body trembling as her pupils shrunk. The calves groaned loudly and nuzzled her, immediately being restrained with lead ropes around their new halters.

Lian screamed loudly, fire eating at her captor's hands. They yelled in surprise, letting her go as they clutched their hands. She scrambled on the ground, flames surrounding her arms up to her elbows. Her target just watched in amusement as she charged at him, so low to the ground she looked like an animal charging. He smirked widely as she tried to send a blast of fire at him, her amateur Firebending skills showing. His leg swung around, his foot catching her in the face. The woman spun in the air, the force of his blow flinging her to the side. Both of their momentum had sent her a good five feet from her original position.

"Take the rhinos to the ship," he ordered the few officers. The mother was reacting now, he saw with a smirk. She walked slowly, legs trembling underneath her large body. "Close the barn doors."

She tried to get up, the pain in her face intensified when she moved her jaw. There was going to be a bruise there, she was damn sure of it. Hissing in pain, Lian managed to get her arms underneath her, only to feel two soldiers grab them, holding them out at the sides.

"Make sure she stays still," Zhao said, moving to the wall where the whip and riding crop were.

An arm slipped around her neck, jerking her head up. She couldn't even breathe burning air on him from this position. The soldiers were sure to keep her arms away and to watch them for signs of flames.

"Tell me, wench," he said, walking in front of her. The long whip she had touched once dangled from his hands. "Have you ever used this? Or have you ever felt this crack against your skin?" Zhao grinned devilishly, watching her face as she paled visibly. "Assaulting an officer and disobeying an admiral's orders. There's quite a punishment for that." He tsked, walking back around her. A nod from his head had one of his remaining soldiers stepping forward, a knife glinting in his hand. It would be much more effective if she felt the whip crack on her bare skin.

Panicking slightly, she jerked when the cold blade touched her skin, cutting through both shirts she had on. Ripping sounded as the shirts fell to the ground, useless now. The bindings she wore around her chest were left on thankfully. Growling, she struggled to break the grips on her and run off.

Zhao was mildly surprised at the small scars on her back that looked like they had come from a whip. Most likely from the one in his hand. "Now, don't worry," he said with a grim smile, "this won't take long."

A crack shot through the air, the woman twitching almost as the whip cut through her skin. Hissing, she bit her lip and held in the yell that threatened to spill forth. It snapped again, hitting the rip in her skin again. Shivering from the cold that seemed to seep in, she withheld her screams as Zhao continued relentlessly. He made sure to continuously hit the same spot until blood poured freely out of the wound. Pain was spreading everywhere as a few missed her exposed back and cracked against her legs. Lian jerked harder, feet trying to push away from the whip.

Blood oozed and dripped on the ground, creating a small puddle around her. She whimpered softly, trying to hold in the pained yells. Blackness was starting to fade around her vision, forcing her to shut her eyes and practice her breathing.

The cracking stopped, the barn going silent except for her heavy breathing. Lian was trembling, her breathing rushing out of her in shaky exhales. The three soldiers released her, letting her lie on the ground as she tried to catch her breath.

Smirking, Zhao approached her, tossing the whip into some remote corner. She barely acknowledged his presence, choosing to stay still as she looked up at him. He grabbed her shoulders, flames dancing on his hands. The scream he had been waiting for tore from her, the pale skin turning black almost instantly. Her eyes rolled back as he threw her to the floor, smiling at his handiwork.

"I think we've spent enough time here," he said, turning on his heel.

"Bastard."

He heard it; it was barely louder than a breeze. Fuming, the man turned, glaring down at the glassy eyed wench. The doors behind him opened, the startled yells of his soldiers echoing in the barn. Snarls rumbled and he turned, eyes landing on the small sheepdog. He growled loudly and lunged at the admiral, his back leg freezing somewhat.

Zhao let the creature sink his teeth into his armored forearm, grabbing the mutt by the scruff of his neck. He shook him, earning a yelp from both dog and master.

"You still defy me?" Zhao snarled, glaring at her shocked form. Her eyes were focused on him, face pale from this predicament. "I guess you haven't learned your lesson! I'll make sure you have now," he whispered dangerously.

"Shing," she whispered, trying to think of any kind of command to help him. Fire leapt from her hands, winking out of existence as her strength failed.

Anger flowing through him, Zhao pulled out a knife from his belt, holding it up to the dog's neck. One clean slice released a gush of dark blood, splattering the woman as she stared in shock at the man. He dropped the body, life slipping away in the brown eyes.

A strange whimper came from her as the mutt fell, lying still on the ground.

"Let's go." Admiral Zhao walked out, his soldiers falling into step behind him. None of them looked back.

The barn doors slamming shut sounded like a crack of thunder in her head. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, swaying on the spot. Ignoring the flashes of pain that coursed through her, she tried to crawl to him. Her attempt did manage to bring her close enough to touch him, the fur feeling cold underneath her hand. He didn't stir or budge, the lake of almost black blood surrounding her.

Lian felt numb, the cold vanishing, the pain disappearing.

She fell, clinging to her canine. The blood splattered, smearing over her body.

For the first time in years, she cried. Curling up, she let the blackness have her.

* * *

It was strange having to walk back and forth from the small farm to his ship. The change in surroundings seemed to happen quickly nowadays. Zuko listened halfheartedly to his uncle's ramblings, more focused on the goal ahead. He was going to put his rhinos on the ship and leave this forsaken rock.

He should've known something was off by the silence of the area. The goats out to pasture were standing in a tightly bunched group, kids in the middle. Shang was sitting guard over them, the first time any of them had seen a guard dog watching over them. Nothing really seemed to sink into Zuko but his uncle frowned and let his gaze travel over everything he could see.

Then reality came smashing down hard when they reached the gate and Shing wasn't there to greet them.

Zuko frowned as well, checking left and right for the mangy mutt. The Firebender stepped onto the farm, waiting for the dog to appear.

"Maybe she's feeding him?" the soldier piped up from behind.

Iroh pointed to the small pan on the ground by the lean-to, worry evident in his face. "Keep on your toes, Prince Zuko."

The three made their way slowly down the path, gazing at the row of pens. Inside, the creatures stayed huddled near the back, some snorting at them. The rhinos seemed to glare, the two large females shaking their heads at them.

Two dogs sat stiffly in front of the barn, whimpering softly. One was the large mastiff but the other looked like another sheepdog. The two looked up at them, whimpering again and then staring at the barn.

Zuko immediately slid the barn door open, wincing at the smell flowing through the place. His eyes immediately landed on the dog, lying in a lake of blood. He somewhat recognized the person collapsed near the mutt. Iroh was rushing forward, trying not to step in the blood while Zuko's eyes stared at the wooden panels.

Scorch marks ran along the top, mocking him as he stared. One panel was bent outwards; the wood splintered and cracked down the middle. It was empty though, none of his rhinos curled up in the golden straw.

Iroh was trying to rouse the girl, having dragged her with help from the soldier out of the blood. He had sent the soldier to go fetch the medic on the ship after seeing the large gashes and cuts covering her back and the burnt, charcoal black skin across her shoulders. "Miss Lian!" he whispered frantically, shaking her gently.

A small grunt came from her, the eyes fluttering open. She stared blankly around, golden eyes shining with a fever.

The prince stalked up, ignoring his uncle's protests as he grabbed her upper arms, glaring fiercely at her. She barely acknowledged him, eyes unfocused.

"Where are they?" he snarled quietly, feeling his uncle's hands trying to pry them away from her. "Where are my rhinos?"

Finally, some sense of clarity sparked in the lifeless orbs. It was immediately washed away in a sea of confusion as the fever regained control. "Please don't take them," she whimpered softly.

His voice grew in volume as he fought his uncle's pleadings to let her go. "Who has them?" Zuko nearly shook her as Lian seemed to be slipping unconscious again. "Where are they?"

Her head fell forward, nearly resting on his chest. He caught the small words she uttered though, dropping her in surprise.

"Please, don't take them, Zhao."


	6. Wherein Anger Plays a Role

Sorry for the long update. It's been slightly hectic here.

Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope you enjoy this chapter! It was hard to write to get the interactions done but I hope I did it to an okay level.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Avatar_ no matter how much I wish I did.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – _Wherein Anger Plays a Role_**

Often, there were only a few things that made the exiled prince mad. One was the monkey-faced admiral himself and another was when the Avatar outmatched, outdid, and outran his men and himself.

Today, stolen rhinos had made the list.

He glared at her, though she probably couldn't tell. The gold eyes were glassy, half-lidded, and unfocused thanks to the somewhat sweet-smelling herb that was under her nose. Normally, it would knock a grown man out for a good couple of hours but she seemed immune to it.

The medic from his ship was knelt over her, a needle in hand as he stitched the deeper gashes up. His uncle had moved her into the house and onto the pallet on the ground, laying her on her stomach to avoid irritating the long cuts. Zuko had stayed in the barn, trying to do anything but burn the place down, until the medic and soldier came.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh whispered softly. "Glaring at her won't do you any good."

Zuko snorted, arms crossing over his chest. The armor clinked loudly in the room, getting a small reaction from the woman. She stilled once again from another deep inhale of the herbal sedative.

Fed up with the slowness of the medic, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, turning blindly into another. His eyes swept across the long shelves filled to the brim with scrolls. One shelf held real, bamboo bound books with titles carefully written down the spine. He scowled at the hundreds of scrolls, wishing nothing more than to burn them all at the moment.

His mood suddenly lightened as his eyes caught the scroll sitting on a pile. He picked it up, scanning it quickly and staring at the large picture of a bison. Confusion spread through him as he read over the document. Why would she have a scroll like this?

Commotion sounded throughout the yard and a very familiar lowing was heard.

The pieces crashed together, almost faster than the coherent thought could form.

The Avatar!

He dashed out, nearly slipping on the floor. Snarling audibly, the prince burst through the door, eyes focused on the small boy walking towards the barn. His frustration boiled to a point, spilling into his hands as red hot flames.

There was a small pause in which several thoughts passed quickly through the four standing stock still. A wave of emotions flew through the expressive eyes as the pause dragged on for minutes.

Then, time seemed to resume and reality hit the four.

Zuko slid his foot across the ground, fire flaring up and at the three. The kids scattered, Sokka grabbing his boomerang and Katara pulling the cap off of her canteen. Aang let out a yell, the wind roaring around him as he flew into the air. He hit the ground, ducking underneath a punch from the determined prince. Startled, the Avatar raced backwards, trying to deflect flames as the teen refused to back down.

Katara brought the water out of the canteen quickly, forming a whip in the air. She flung out her arm, nearly smacking Aang upside his bald head with it. The water crashed into Zuko's arm, extinguishing the fire for a small moment.

Aang groped at the air as Zuko roared and tried to evaporate the water. The wind rushed through his fingers, becoming tightly bound as he formed the air scooter. Retreat was a good idea at this point in the fight.

The prince snarled, frustration fueling his attacks as he tried to catch the boy. Unfortunately, the ball of air blasted the kid out of his reach again. His target gone, he turned in time to block the attack from the Water Tribe boy. Growling audibly, the Firebender grabbed the teen by his shirt and threw him into one of the many fences. Screeches from the terrified horse rose into the air but he ignored them, trying to find the bald monk.

A gust like one from a typhoon hit him, slamming the prince into the fence next to Sokka. Shaking his head, the gold eyes landed on the boy, a tiger calculating his prey. Zuko rushed forward, fire daggers forming in his hands. Aang dodged the charge, hitting him in the back with another gust of wind. The prince caught himself quickly though, letting flames rush towards his target. He damn well wasn't going to lose this time.

Katara ran to her brother who hadn't moved since he had crumpled. Rolling him over, she found him still alive and conscious, just out of his mind.

"Katara, where'd that fish go?" he asked sincerely, eyes rolling in his head. "He took my line."

Aang stayed close to Zuko, keeping the prince from using the sweeping attacks. There were several flammable materials around him and it was the Avatar's job to keep everything in one piece. Zuko was forced to use hand to hand combat, snarling as the boy dodged his blows. He just needed to knock the kid out and get him to his ship. If only he could catch him.

Something gave off a warning bark, snarls erupting from somewhere behind them. The two fighters were moving in some sort of dance that the dog didn't like apparently. Both of them ignored the barks and growls, drawing nearer to the hidden nest. He was almost there, he almost had the Avatar.

"Aang!" Katara yelled, scrambling to her feet and leaving her brother as something caught her eye.

The boy, startled, turned to see what was wrong, giving Zuko the perfect chance. He swung his arm out, hoping to hit the kid right across his bald head and show him who was truly a master.

Until someone grabbed his arm, moving faster than Zuko could dare imagine. In seconds, his arm had been deflected from his finishing blow and someone had a strong hold on his topknot. He winced as his head was forced down, the Avatar merely being restrained by his shirt collar. Golden eyes turned to look at this intruder, widening immediately as his own uncle glared down at him.

Iroh shoved the two apart, letting go of the two benders. He glared at the two as he moved between them, keeping them apart so they'd stop and listen. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves," he began harshly, making sure that neither Zuko nor the Avatar would make a move towards each other. "You almost injured three very young lives."

The snarling finally stopped, gold and gray eyes falling on the dog that glared at them. She snorted, turning around as Shang bounded into the area, teeth bared. Grunting, the dog sprawled out under the bush, letting the three puppies suckle again. Shang sat down next to the canine, eyes fixated on the three humans.

Zuko growled loudly, moving to try and end his wild goose chase. Shang snarled, darting forward and nearly biting his leg. The prince sidestepped him, glaring at the mutt.

"It has been a rough day. Maybe if we all settle down, we'll be able to come to an agreement," the old man commented, sighing softly. His nephew's wrath was fast but he knew the prince like the back of his hand. He stood calmly against the storm as Zuko gave quite a clear idea of what he thought of his uncle's plans.

Sokka had finally snapped out of his daze and was staring at the two Firebenders. Aang had slunk away to be near the two Water Tribe members, watching the scene with increasing interest. Momo scaled down from his hiding spot, head tilted and huge ears twitching.

This was an enlightening start to a pretty crappy day.

* * *

The medic muttered as he worked, thin fingers threading more string into his needle. His back ached from kneeling over his patient but he was almost done. She really hadn't been that bad off. Shock had just overcome her senses and made her seem worse than it really was. Sighing, he ignored the fighting taking place outside and continued his work.

Barking reached his ears but he kept his eyes on his patient, moving the needle in and out of the skin.

The woman stirred though, the eyes blinking and starting to focus again. She grunted, fingers flexing impatiently. Groaning, she tried to get up and failed miserably.

Surprised, the medic blinked a few times before rapping her on her burnt shoulder. "Stay down! You're going to tear those stitches!"

For some reason, she seemed to listen and lied back down on the pallet. A few deep breaths of the sedative sent her spiraling back into the sweet oblivion.

* * *

In the span of the time it took Zuko to spew, the three friends could've stolen away on Appa and escaped the small farm with plenty of time to spare. However, the three just stared in slight astonishment at the two in front of them, rooted to the spot. Even Shang looked interested as he cocked his head, ears pricked.

The gold eyes suddenly rounded on the group of heroes, narrowing into slits. He was about to send a wall of flames at them, hoping they'd just die. Iroh grabbed his wrist again, jerking the prince off balance.

"We are guests on this farm, Prince Zuko. Destroying it will not win high favors among the people," he warned. Iroh let him go, giving the prince a stern look as he prepared another attack. He let the fires die almost immediately.

Zuko would rather fight Zhao than deal with his uncle's wrath.

Scowling, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at anything and everything. This was stacking up to be one of the worst days of his life.

* * *

Still scowling, the prince glowered at the entire farm and all its inhabitants. The animals were moving restlessly, several groaning for food. The goats had calmed down enough to graze a little bit but any small amount of noise had them bunching up.

He couldn't believe it. His uncle…on their side! Sinking lower in his anger, he imagined burning the entire farm to ashes. It was all her fault all of this happened.

Zuko was picturing the barn ablaze when he heard the door behind him open. He continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring the girl as she sat down a good distance away from him, canteen at the ready.

"Your uncle told us what happened," she said softly, really wishing that Aang would get his butt out here and talk to the scowling prince. She had almost been shoved out the door by the three men to talk to him, his uncle promising that he wouldn't hurt her. She snorted at that but had come armed just incase.

He didn't answer her though.

Frowning, Katara rolled her eyes. Men. "Lian had an idea. She said there was a way we could get the rhinos back."

A slight pause followed before he actually spoke to her. "Who cares about them? Zhao can have them if he wants them so bad."

Katara's frown deepened. "It sounded like a good plan. I bet it would work."

Zuko smirked slightly. "You're such an optimist. Nothing that witch could come up with would ever work." He took the blast of water that smacked him in the head, growling as he glared daggers at her.

"You're such an insensitive jerk! I can't believe you're related to that man in there!" she yelled, turning her own glare at him.

He snarled, flames dancing at his fingers. "Don't you dare bring my uncle into this!"

"I can't believe he deals with you everyday!" she continued, the water in the canteen swirling and splashing onto the ground. "You're a self-centered, arrogant moron!"

"You wench!" he roared, the flames turning white.

"Shut up out there!"

Both teens paused in their argument, Katara blinking in surprise at the door and Zuko turning to give his death glare to the door. Sokka and Aang fell to the ground as the door swung open, revealing Iroh as well. The three had apparently been listening in on the fight.

"You're giving me a headache," Lian slurred, rubbing her temples. She swayed unsteadily as she tried to stay on the chair at the table. The sedative was coursing through her veins still and she was having trouble sitting up. Bandages wrapped her entire torso and around her shoulders, making moving a little harder than it should've been.

Zuko growled at her, earning an unfocused stare from the woman. Her head hit the table, deep sighs rumbling from her throat.

"You've done enough," Zuko said harshly. He stood to walk back to his ship and leave this spirit forsaken place.

"They're at Guangzhou."

He paused in mid-stride, eyes landing on her.

"It's the next port, a day and a half long trip from here. They'll be there picking up supplies." She turned tired eyes to him. "It'll take them a day to get there by ship. Besides," the woman groaned, sitting back up, "your rhinos won't last very long without medical attention." The eyes glazed over for a moment before she snapped back. "Li was burnt badly and is probably in shock. Her body won't make milk. You do the math."

Zuko looked from her to his uncle who just smiled at him.

Yes, this had to be one of the worst days of his life.


	7. Malevolence

Finally, this chapter is done. I'm sort of not okay with it but I also like it. I just think it's an iffy chapter.

Thanks to all my reviewers, especially retad! I hate the words lie, lay, and laid and Word doesn't seem to be helping. kicks Word I'll see what I can do and hope to get it right in the future.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did, season 2 would be out NOW!

* * *

**Chapter 7 – _Malevolence _**

Given that the entire day had been hell and was steadily getting worse, he was surprised that this plan was so far running smoothly. The three kids had fed most of the animals and were gathering supplies that Lian pointed out. His uncle had returned to the ship and had sent back five men, all dressed in Fire Nation armor.

Of course, Lian hadn't been much help. Whenever she tried to walk, her legs gave out from under her. She stayed seated on a crate, head in her hands as she willed the lightheaded feeling away. Often times, she spaced out for a couple of minutes before returning back to reality.

Zuko still scowled but he watched with interest as his five men started dumping supplies into a wagon. Several of the items he was sure they didn't really need but he couldn't tell what was going through this wench's mind.

"You kids should leave soon if you're going to meet the Admiral," she said suddenly, tired eyes flickering over to the three.

He still didn't know how all of this would work. The Avatar and his allies were going to distract Zhao while Lian, a soldier, and he snuck aboard his ship and stole back the rhinos. It was fairly simple.

It would also probably burst into flames right in front of them.

She stood up, swaying on the spot. When she didn't fall over, Lian slowly made her way to the barn. Pausing for a moment, she seemed to regard the scene of carnage before disappearing into the darkness. Minutes passed and he wondered what was taking her so long when she limped out, Shing's scruff held tightly in one hand.

Lian dragged the sheepdog behind the barn, placing the corpse on a pile of stones. The woman kicked a pile of dried leaves and sticks onto the body, watching them settle over the dog. Swaying slightly, she violently threw a spark down at him, wincing from the stab of pain.

The spark flared as it landed on a leaf, growing as the fire began to consume. It ate hungrily, life blooming from the dead. Smoke rose into the air as the three kids stared in utmost horror at the cremation.

This was something Zuko understood. He watched the flames rise higher as the skin and flesh melted away, the scent burning his senses.

Shang trotted to sit next to the woman, head bowed low. He let out a mournful sound that echoed and was repeated by the other animals on the farm.

"Ashes to ashes," she whispered, watching the body burn away into a memory.

* * *

Lian led Tao out of her pen, one of the soldiers helping her slip the harness on. It was becoming incredibly frustrating to not be able to bend over without something hurting or a couple of stitches popping out. She backed the rhino up to the wagon, hooking her up as two soldiers led out the second rhino, harness secured. The rhino stood next to Tao as Lian attached her to the wagon as well.

Bao was let out as well, the young rhino lowing and playfully poking her with his horn. She gave him a small punch to the face to get him to quit while the soldiers tried to put a harness on him. Lian maneuvered him to another, smaller wagon, clipping the harness to the metal framework. He glanced around quickly, adjusting to this new job as she tied his lead rope to the larger wagon. Bao lowed loudly when she walked away, shaking his massive form.

She whistled loudly, the huge mastiff lumbering into view. He grumbled as she rubbed his head, sending him off with a grimace.

"Are we set to leave?" Zuko asked in a growl, watching her turn slowly.

"Should be," she grunted. "Tell your soldiers to find room in the big wagon. Bao's not old enough to carry a lot of weight."

Zuko climbed in, sitting next to the driver's bench. His soldiers followed suit, settling down around bags of what appeared to be flour and bottles of goat milk. Lian lifted herself up onto the bench, wincing when the burns on her shoulders stretched. It took another minute before she could regain her composure. Picking up the reins, she snapped the leather straps.

"Easy, Mei-Lin," she mumbled, pulling back on the other rhino's reins. The rhino snorted but slowed obediently, matching Tao step for step.

Bao's ears twitched and he trotted forward, eager to figure out this new job. The wagon swayed from side to side, almost like a ship on the water. Zuko's eyes traveled to the woman, spotting dark spots on the light colored shirt she wore. She shifted uncomfortably, rolling her shoulders in an effort to stop the throbbing pains.

"How do you know they'll be there?" Zuko asked, leaning against the support structure of the wagon.

"Zhao always heads to Guangzhou after paying me a visit," she responded, groaning softly. "Our port doesn't have all of the supplies he needs. Hopefully, he'll be there when the kids get there."

The wagons lumbered down the worn paths, the rhinos moving into a gallop when she whistled. Grunting, the three rhinos strained against the wagons, Bao having to slow down to avoid running headfirst into the large one.

At this pace, it'd take them forever to get there.

* * *

Shadows raced each other, dashing across the plains. The sun had set long ago, the moon taking its place as the rightful heir.

Zuko scowled as he watched the road. This trip was taking too long. Snorting, he sat up straighter when the wagons slowed and then stopped. "Why are we stopping?" he demanded.

Lian dismounted from her spot, hissing as she stretched the cuts engraved in her back. Ignoring him, the animal healer made her way to Bao's wagon, petting him on the way. The rhino had been keeping up well with his companions, a challenging feat for a young one.

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko asked again, eyes narrowed as she dug around in the cart.

"Precautions," she grunted, pulling out what appeared to be junk.

"Precautions for what?" he asked, glaring hard at her.

She merely pointed before them.

A great stretch of forest lay out in front of the wagons, some trees towering at what appeared to be at least a hundred feet. Saplings protected the entrance to a rocky and uneven path. Inside was pitch black, almost as though the night lived here and spread to the entire world when the sun disappeared. The hairs along his arm stood up suddenly, making him shudder.

Bao let out a grunt, eyes blinking as she put the blinders on him. She scooped out a wad of what appeared to be Scorpion Beeswax from a jar, slopping on his ears. The rhino snorted and shook his large head, nearly hitting her with a horn. Lian scratched behind his beeswax filled ears, soothing the rhino as he adjusted to the sudden blindness and deafness.

Lian tossed him several strips of cloth, the blinders and beeswax jar in her hand. "Tell your soldiers to put those on. They are not to remove them until they feel the sun."

Zuko blinked and chucked the blindfolds behind them. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you when we get out of this forsaken place." Tao and Mei-Lin let her blind them and coat their ears with beeswax. The rhinos stood absolutely still, breathing deeply. "Do not look at anything that moves. If you see something move, turn away. Do not say anything at all, no matter what. No matter what you hear or feel. Try not to move suddenly either. Stay still, stay quiet," she finished. "Maybe you should just go to sleep."

The Firebender gritted his teeth and shook his head. No way was he being told what to do.

"Tell your men to sleep then. I can't guarantee anything from here on."

That confused him. He opened his mouth to counter but she hushed him and led the rhinos into the woods.

The first thing Zuko noticed was that it was completely silent. Lian walked slowly, guiding the rhinos over roots and rocks through the forest. She didn't make a noise, limping slightly. The rhinos were quiet as well, Bao still trying to figure out what was going on.

He took in a breath, nodding at his men. The five tied the blindfolds into place, settling back carefully. Zuko turned back to watch the woman, wondering why this forest was making her so jumpy.

Bao shook his head, taking almost baby steps as he made his way around blindly. Zuko frowned, wondering what had hit the rhino.

Something touched his shoulder and he fought to not jump. Controlling his breathing, he stared at Lian who shuddered but kept walking, their breathing echoing in the silence.

Biting his lower lip, Zuko didn't move when something caressed his cheek. The wind didn't, couldn't penetrate the trees at all; making him wonder what was going on. He felt what seemed to be breath on the back of his neck, the hairs there standing on end like a cat's. His hands fidgeted as he ignored the wind-like touches, staring straight at the woman.

He swore he heard something hiss in annoyance but the touching stopped. Almost sighing in relief, Zuko closed his eyes.

Nothing happened for about an hour, the slow pace never wavering. Lian stepped carefully through the woods, patting Mei-Lin's side to keep the rhino calm. She jerked slightly whenever something touched her, a bad sign.

Zuko leaned back, eyes still closed. Even though this entire place seemed off somehow, he felt confident he could deal with whatever tried to hurt them.

A piercing scream hit his ears, sounding as though it was right behind him. The Firebender jolted, nearly burning the cover on the wagon. Inhuman screeches rung in his ears, grating against his sanity. Zuko's eyes traveled over the small space, trying to find anything that would make such a noise.

He looked at Lian quickly, seeing that she showed no sign of hearing that monstrosity. Taking deep breaths, he settled back, squeezing his eyes shut. Something began to whisper in his ears, the voice sounding seductive. Promises echoed around him, threats murmured around his head. Zuko kept his eyes shut tight, willing the voices away.

"Let me out…"

"Free me…"

"Anything you want…"

The painful screams and howls continued for what felt like hours. Lian kept walking, tripping over a few roots as she yawned. She ignored the inhuman sounds, turning back to see if the soldiers had cracked yet. The woman couldn't see the others but Zuko looked sick. He was shaking, eyes held shut tight. Just a little bit longer though.

Zuko let out a relieved sigh when the screaming died down to empty silence.

The darkness opened up, taking on a sketchy shape. He turned away immediately, choosing to stare at the rhinos instead. Shadows moved in his peripheral vision, enticing him to stare.

Lian often stopped now, eyes shut tight as she made her way down the path like a blind beggar. They were almost out of this, just another thousand meters.

The prince forced his eyes shut, blocking out the images of the strange beast. The voices returned, louder and stronger than ever. Something brushed against his hands, feeling like coarse, greasy fur. He swore he heard Lian's voice tell him it was all right but he didn't respond. _Stay still, stay quiet_.

* * *

He welcomed the reassuring feel of the sun on his bare skin. Cautiously, he opened his good eye, sighing deeply when he couldn't see any trees. The wagon had stopped moving, Lian tending to her rhinos by removing the blinders and beeswax. She looked exhausted as she dumped the supplies back into Bao's cart.

"What was that?" he asked, seeing that even in the day the forest was a dark nightmare.

"Some spirits never leave," she whispered cryptically.


End file.
